School News

November 23, 2006

GLOUCESTER

School personnel raise $17,679 for United Way

The Gloucester County Public Schools 2006 United Way program raised $17,679 from 204 employees. The top two agencies to receive money are the Samaritan Group, $4,845, and the GCPS Educational Foundation, $2,686.

WEST POINT

Art students view works in Richmond

Sixty fifth-grade art students from West Point Elementary School recently toured the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with museum docents. The students viewed exhibits including ancient sculpture, works by Impressionist painters, the Faberge collection and the Paul Mellon galleries of Sporting Art. They later saw contemporary art at Art Works on Hull Street, which features two large galleries, artist studios and workspaces. Students toured many of the studios and viewed examples of pointillism paintings by artist Jane Sandelin.

Roz Stein -- assistant coordinator and counselor with Rappahannock Community College's Glenns Campus Student Support Services Office -- has started a "Walk & Talk" program designed to promote physical fitness while keeping faculty, staff and students in touch with one another.

"We hope that it will help student retention," says Stein, who came up with the idea after a visit to the College of William and Mary. She says many RCC students lack a sense of belonging. "They just come to school and leave. We offer activities, but they don't attend due to this lack of connection."

Warsaw Campus counselor Melanie Payne encourages everyone at her end of RCC's service area to exercise and have fun, too.

Anyone who wants to participate in Walk & Talk at either campus is welcome. The first sessions of "Walk & Talk" took place from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Oct. 26. Sessions have since been held each Monday and Thursday at the same time. Current or potential students who would like more information can call Stein at 758-6747 or Payne at 804-333- 6735.

CONTEST

Historical experience could win prizes

Virginia high school students have until Dec. 1 to enter the "Know Your History ... Know Your Story" essay and poetry competition.

The contest was created by the African American Heritage Association of Virginia and Soul of Virginia magazine. Winners will be announced in January, with an event with cash awards and other prizes in February. Entries will appear in Soul of Virginia.

* Recently at Page Middle School, the Lady Eagles field hockey team took on Berkeley Middle School for the Bay River District title.

The game ended in a 0-0 tie, as it did the first time in regular- season play.

A 10-minute sudden-death overtime was played, with Lindsay Lawrence scoring the winning goal for Page.

The girls were led by Coach Sandy Beverage and Assistant Coach Kim Ronan.

RCC

* Pam Alderman, an adjunct instructor of English at Rappahannock Community College, has earned certification as a developmental education specialist from the Kellogg Institute for the Training and Certification of Developmental Educators. Alderman attended a four- week training course at the institute's facility at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., in the summer of 2005.

She then wrote a handbook, "Methodologies and Strategies for Reading, Learning and Testing." Alderman, of Westmoreland County, has a master's of education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She's one of fewer than 1,000 people in the United States who have attained certification since the program began 26 years ago.

Two others already certified are Glenda Lowery and Tom Rockson of RCC.